Editor’s Note: This post was written by Tiffany from Mommy Methodology. To find out more about Tiffany, please visit her website here and her contributor page here at Our Small Hours. Be sure to follow Mommy Methodology on social media: Facebook, G+ and Pinterest. 3 Essential Skills for Moms With Chronic Illness Chronic illness affects tens of millions of Americans, many of whom are moms. I am one such mom. Perhaps you are too. It’s good Continue Reading →

How to Start a Blog When I started Our Small Hours in 2011 I was looking for a way to reach out to other moms on the subjects of positive parenting, homeschooling, real food and natural living. I had learned a lot in my parenting and natural living journey and wanted a place to share that information outside of private message boards, where my ability to reach others was limited. I decided to start a Continue Reading →

Editor’s Note: I was given a FlavFusion infuser water bottle to try and review. Flavored Water is Refreshing, But is it Healthy? When I was child my mother didn’t allow soda in the house. She knew it was not healthy even before the news media told us it actually is. So, we drank milk and, occasionally, juice and . . . ugh . . . Kool-Aid. But mostly, we drank water. Lovely, filtered water. Then Continue Reading →

Editor’s Note: I received a Path to Resiliency download to test and review. Read my Disclosure and Disclaimer Policies for more information. What is Guided Imagery? Meditation is a practice that is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. The benefits of meditation are numerous and can help to improve the functions of your body systems and to support mental wellness. Sometimes, though meditation can be difficult to do. Maybe you struggle to keep your mind calm Continue Reading →

My Husband Doesn’t Make Me Happy My husband doesn’t make me happy. I would like to tell you that there was a time when he did make me happy, but the truth is that he has never made me happy. There was a time when I wanted to believe that he made me happy. I bet you believe (or have believed) the same about your husband, but, hopefully, you’ve finally admitted (at least to yourself) Continue Reading →

Editor’s Note: I received a free Brieftons NextGen Spiralizer to test and review. Read my Disclosure and Disclaimer Policies for more information. Zucchini Noodles Are an Easy Grain-Free Pasta Alternative Have you gone completely grain-free but miss the comfort brought to the table by a plate of buttery or saucy noddles? Zucchini noodles make a great alternative to traditional spaghetti noodles. If you’re wondering how to make zucchini noodles and you think it might be Continue Reading →

Editor’s Note: This post was written by Kandice, owner of Green-Eyed Girl Productions and a Coordinating Blog, The Vintage Event, and her personal blog Cotton N’ Kandi. You can find out more about Kandice by following her on social media on Pinterest and Facebook. In addition, please check out her contributor bio here. I definitely remember telling myself after the birth of our first son, “I will always remember these moments and cherish these first few weeks Continue Reading →

Have you met Buck? If not, let me introduce you. I first introduced Buck here, when I told you how I get books for a dollar or less. I used to scour Amazon for deals on books, but it was pretty time consuming. Buck Books, who is clearly a genius, has provided a way to get the latest Amazon books that are a dollar or less. The process is really simple: You sign up, completely Continue Reading →

When my family first began homeschooling I thought that I needed a fancy-schmancy complete curriculum. I plunked down big bucks for an everything-included boxed curriculum for my 2nd grader and his preschool-kindergarten level younger brother. About three weeks into our school year, I realized with dread and embarrassment that we hated the curriculum. I had just a couple of months earlier convinced my husband to give homeschooling a try, spent an ungodly amount of money Continue Reading →

The Importance of a Daily Quiet Time for Kids I first implemented a daily quiet time with my children when my oldest was around 3 years old and had begun to give up naps. It’s tough work keeping a little one entertained all day. Although I don’t believe that it’s a parent’s job to entertain his or her children that doesn’t change the fact that the children may not know how to entertain themselves. Having Continue Reading →

The Benefits of Bone Broth If you don’t know about the health benefits of bone broth by now, you haven’t been paying attention. In fact, drinking bone broth has become down right trendy. Bone broth is delicious, comforting and incredibly nutritious. Now, I’m not talking about that tetra pak of salty liquid or those msg cubes that you can find at your local grocery store. That’s not bone broth and it’s not good for Continue Reading →

Editor’s Note: This post was written by Tiffany from Mommy Methodology. To find out more about Tiffany, please visit her website here and her contributor page here at Our Small Hours. Be sure to follow Mommy Methodology on social media: Facebook, G+ and Pinterest. Can We End the Home School Debate? Decades ago I was home schooled during my middle school years. The school district in which we lived had a sub-par education system. I literally finished Continue Reading →

Does Parenting Get Easier as Children Get Older? When I was a young mother with three children under the age of five, I often wondered if parenting would ever get any easier. When I asked moms with children older than mine if parenting gets easier when the children get older, they would smile and say, “No. Parenting doesn’t get easier. It gets . . . different.” I hated that answer then and I still hate Continue Reading →

Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have to deal with the hassle of figuring out what’s for dinner every night? Part of the reason that folks find it difficult to stick with a real food lifestyle is that it’s hard to create, shop for and prepare real food as you need it. Eating real food often requires planning in advance. Planning meals on the fly is a task for even the most creative cooks. In Continue Reading →

Are you making a mindful practice of gratefulness? If not, you are missing out on the many benefits of gratitude. I know that most of us are thankful for what we have. We understand that our lives are filled with blessings. We are happy that we have a roof over our heads or food in our pantry. But, do we dwell on our blessings? Do we really take time to feel just how incredible they Continue Reading →

Would your work-life balance be better if you telecommuted instead of working from the office? It just might! There are no shortage of articles that talk about how telecommuters are less stressed. In addition, telecommuting employees are more productive and tend to be more loyal to their company and dedicated to getting the job done. Unfortunately, many companies struggle to understand how telecommuting employees can benefit their business. If you work for one of those Continue Reading →

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Holmes Products for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine. It’s that time of year again. Holidays and family and warmth. Gratitude and food and winter dryness. As much as I adore the fall and winter months, I do not enjoy being shocked every time I touch metal, flyaway hair, flaky skin and a dry nose. I prefer to take care of these cold-weather issues Continue Reading →

My time spent working with families and interacting in parenting communities has taught me several things. One of those things is that no matter how you choose to parent your child, you will meet with criticism from someone at some point. Often I hear, “My mom criticizes my parenting! How can I get her to stop?” Other times the criticism comes from friends, other family members or other authority figures. The first thing you need to understand is Continue Reading →

Happy Black Friday, you guys! So, I don’t do Black Friday. Because crowds. And because . . . yeah, mostly just because crowds. But, I do like a sale. Especially if it’s online. And because I love the online sales, I have a Black Friday sale to share with you. And it’s a good one. I have teamed up with several of my fellow lifestyle bloggers to bring you a great Black Friday Sale of classes, meal Continue Reading →

Mediterranean Paleo Cooking When my copy of Mediterranean Paleo Cooking arrived yesterday I did a little dance. When I opened it, I had to sit right down. I found myself doing something that I have never once done with a cookbook: Reading it from cover to cover! The photos in Mediterranean Paleo Cooking are vibrant and beautiful. Two of my boys were looking over my shoulder while I read and they ooh’d and aah’d Continue Reading →

If there is one thing that I know for sure it’s that life is never constant. We are always facing change or in the midst of change. Humans are creatures of habit and we’re comfortable with routine. I’ll be the first to tell you that routine is a good thing and having a solid routine helps to lessen stress in both children and adults. Unfortunately, Life didn’t get the memo on what helps us to Continue Reading →

As I write this, I’ve got my new favorite oil combo difussing close by. It’s no secret that I love citrus scents. I also love sweet flower scents, as well. Ylang, Ylang is one of my absolute favorite scents. The sweet, but crisp scent that is floating through the room is both uplifting and calming. You’ve just got to try this combo! Ylang Ylang essential oil is known for its ability to soothe tension and Continue Reading →

Are you ready for a paleo Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is a holiday filled with grain-laden, dairy-heavy comfort food dishes. It can be tough for the paleo follower to find typical holiday recipes that are grain-free, dairy-free and wholesome. It’s not impossible, however, to have a wonderful paleo Thanksgiving dinner with everything from turkey to pie. Read on for a great roundup of delicious paleo Thanksgiving recipes! Maple Bacon Turkey from EatPlayLoveMore Roasted Butternut Squash from Continue Reading →

Should You Apologize to Your Child? First things first, right? Maybe you don’t believe that apologizing to your children is such a good idea. That was a common belief among a generation of parents. The idea goes that the parent is always right, even if he or she is wrong. There are situations in which we need our children to take our word for it and not question us. Sometimes their safety may depend on Continue Reading →

By: Lisa, Founder of Rest for the Weary Editor’s Note: Today we are blessed to have Lisa from Rest for the Weary as a guest poster. Homeschool burnout is a subject I’ve long wanted to cover, but I didn’t feel that I had enough personal insight to cover it well. Lisa’s website is dedicated to helping parents who face homeschool burnout. As a mother of 7, she understands the demands of homeschooling well. Having suffered from Continue Reading →

Yelling is the new spanking. While many parents have taken physical punishment out of their discipline toolbox, many have replaced it with yelling. It’s not uncommon for a parent to resort to yelling when they are left with a empty toolbox and no idea how to disipline a child without the tactics that they were shown by their own parents. Discipline is not always easy, and so parents can come a little unhinged when they are Continue Reading →

Although I am no longer a vegan, I certainly remember how it felt to participate in meat-centered holiday meals with friends and family when I didn’t eat meat. When the standard image of Thanksgiving food is a turkey, planning a vegetarian Thanksgiving menu can be tough. It’s not impossible to have a real food vegetarian Thanksgiving if you plan ahead. In the end, a meatless Thanksgiving looks more like a collection of typical Thanksgiving side Continue Reading →

If you are already a homeschooling parent, you have probably been asked what grade your child is in. While my children are mostly working at specific grade levels, some subjects are at one grade level while others are at another. For history and science, I don’t follow any specific grade level curriculum. History is at the elementary school level and science is at the college level for all three of my children who are currently Continue Reading →

I discovered arrowroot powder a few years ago when I began my real food journey. When I was avoiding grains in order to help improve my digestion I couldn’t use flour or cornstarch (corn is a grain) as a thickener. Arrowroot powder is an excellent thickener and, as I happily discovered, does not have a negative impact on my digestion. As I added grains back into my diet, I had concerns about how cornstarch Continue Reading →

Do you know anyone who loves Minecraft? I know three folks who love Minecraft very much. My boys live and breathe Minecraft. Whether they are building together or alone, they find the game to be relaxing and fun. As they create their holiday wish list, they are adding Minecraft gifts this year. I am happy to see several Minecraft items on each of their lists because I’ve found that several of the Minecraft gifts they Continue Reading →